Immediately-Invoked Function Expression (IIFE)
In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m a bit of a stickler for terminology. So, after hearing the popular, yet misleading, JavaScript term “self-executing anonymous function” (or self-invoked anonymous function) one too many times, I’ve finally decided to organize my thoughts into an article.
In addition to providing some very thorough information about how this pattern actually works, I’ve actually made a recommendation on what we should call it, moving forward. Also, If you want to skip ahead, you can just check out some actual Immediately-Invoked Function Expressions, but I recommend reading the entire article.
Please understand that this article isn’t intended to be an “I’m right, you’re wrong” kind of thing. I’m genuinely interested in helping people understand potentially complex concepts, and feel that using consistent and accurate terminology is one of the easiest things that people can do to facilitate understanding.
So, what’s this all about, anyways?
In JavaScript, every function, when invoked, creates a new execution context. Because variables and functions defined within a function may only be accessed inside, but not outside, that context, invoking a function provides a very easy way to create privacy.
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